Inflating foldable boat.



W. CZARNIK.

INPLATING FOLDABLE BOAT.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. so, 1914.

1,1 30,480. Patented Mar. 2, 1915,.

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APPLICATION FILED NOV. 30, 1914.

Patented Mar. 2, 1915.

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W. CZARNIK.

INPLATING FOLDABLB BOAT. APPLICATION FILED Nov. 3o. 1914.

Patented Mar. 2, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3 glu Ucniu C Cz armi/f l l l 1 l l' Chlorncxl WOJ'CIECH CZAENIK, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

INFLATING FOLDABLE BOAT.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 2, 1915.

Application led November 30, 1914. Serial No. 874,748.

To all whom 'it may concern Be it known that I, WOJCIECH CzAnNm, subj ect of the Emperor of Austria-Hungary, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Iniating Foldable Boats, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in iniiatable folding boats.

The primary object of this device is to provide a foldable boat structure constitut ing a small-sized craft such as a life-boat or a row-boat and having its Side walls inlatable for imparting buoyancy thereto.

A further object is to provide a boat structure formed of flexible walls strengthened by a form of quilting and the space between the walls adapted for receiving air under pressure, while a foldable frame work in the form of a gunwale is included whereby the device may be closed in a folded condition when deflated.

A still further object is to provide a boat form of quilted iexible pneumatic casing having a hinged gunwale adapted to support a retaining and strengthening member as well as thwarts for the occupants.

With these general objects in view and others that will appear as the nature of the invention'is better understood, the same consists in the -novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and set forth in the appended claims.

In the drawings forming a part of this application and in which like-designating characters refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views, Figure 1 is a top plan view of the device operatively positioned. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view of the same. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a small portion 'of the outer covering or wall of the boat with the pneumatic member or bag secured thereto and deiiated. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a corresponding portion of the inner covering or wall detached. Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional detail view through one of the points of attachment between the casings and the bag. Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail view of one of the hinge joints of the gunwale frame ofthe device. Fig. 8 is a sectional View enlarged of the +..m-h1mlrle means employed with the central brace. Fig. 9 is an enlarged view of one of the side hinges of the gunwale frame together with the mounting of the brace thereover. Fig. 10 is an end view of the boat in its closed position. Fig. 11 is a transverse sectional view of a modified form of construction. Fig. 12 is an enlarged perspective detail view of a gunwale portion of the modified construction, and Fig. 13 is an enlarged sectional view through the main body portion of such form of the device.

Referring more in detail to the drawings an inflatable bag member 10 is provided havlng 1ts walls contacting with each other when deflated, and being of a eneral boat form and being such as woul be readily assumed by a foot-ball shaped inflatable bag when completely deiated. An outer covermg or wall 11 is provided for the bag being secured fiatly engaging the outer convex surface thereof by means of tying rivets 12 which are secured at substantially regular spaced intervals and in a plurality of rows, the said rivets being firmly xed through the bag and the outer wall 11 and being vulcanized into such members to form an air and water-tight joint.

inner wall or coverin 13 is provided to fit within the boat and atlyengage the bag 10 and is provided with a plurality of eyelets or slots 14 which are adapted to register with and receive the eyes or loops 15 of the rivets 12. Ropes 16 are placed within the boat and are threaded through the eyes 15 of the rivets after the inner wall is seated upon the bag and the said ropes retain the said inner wall so flatly positioned and cov-I ering the inner surface of the boat.

The outer edges 17 and 18 of the`outer and inner walls respectively are provided with eyelets 19 which are adapted to register with each other outwardly of the outer edges of the bag and cords 2O are secured through the eyelets of both of the walls and are engaged around the gunwale rod 21 either by tying in short sections or by a manner of looping as shown in Fig. 12.

The gunwale rod 21 is provided with hinges 22 at the bow and stern for allowing the opposite gunwale portions of the boat to move inwardly when the bag is deiated, while hinges 23 are provided centrally of the side portions of the gunwale rod 21 for allowing the bow and stern halves of the gunwale and boat to be folded with the said gunwale portions in contact with each other as illustrated in Fig. 2. Channel brackets 24: are positioned over the hinges 23 and removably secured in position by means of bolts 25 while rods 26 secured to the gunwale hinges 23 extend inwardly of the boat and have oppositely threaded ends upon which a turn sleeve 27 is mounted and by means of which the rod portions 26 may be adjusted longitudinally with respect to each other. Cables 28 are secured between the opposite gunwale portions and thwarts 29 are provided within the boat suspended from the said cables by cords 30 and are also suspended from the gunwale by similar cords 31.

With the device arranged as illustrated in Fig. 1, the bag may be readily inflated through the nipple valve 32 by means of an air pump orany available form of fluid injector, it being noted that the air will fill the bag throughout its area and between the rivets l2 which will present a quilted appearance as best .shown in Fig. 3, it being seen that the ropes 16 strengthen the entire structure and form the surface of the boat sides in substantially annular ring portions 33 lying one above the other from the keel to the gunwale thereof. lil/ith the brackets 2a in position and the bag inliated, the sleeve 27 may be turned for rigidly tensioning the sides properly separated, while the thwarts will be operatively held as illustrated, and the gunwale will be restrained against any hinging movements.

For collapsing the boat, the brackets 24 may be removed upon turning the sleeve 27 to'draw inwardly the rod members 26 and also upon removing the bolts 25 so that the bow andl stern gunwale portions may be turned upon the hinges 23 after the bag has been deflated through the nipple 32 so that the said gunwale portions may be positioned in contact with each other and with the boat folded as shown in Fig. 10, it being of course understood that the boat body being flexible when so deflated' may be drawn together between the said folded gunwale portions while said portions may be drawn toward each other upon the bow and stern hinges 22.

In the modified construction illustrated in Figs. 11, l2 and 13 a bag 34 is provided forming the boat body and having an inflatable chamber 35 therein and is unprovided with any outer or inner covering. Rivet members 36 provided with eyes 37 secure the sides of the bags together, while ropes 38 are threaded through the said eyes similar to the preferred form of construction, while all of the remaining elements are identical therewith. This form of boat, in its folded or closed position will have a similar appearance in end view to Fig. 10.

While the forms of the invention herein shown and described are what are believed iaeoeo to be the preferred embodiments thereof, it is nevertheless to be understood that minor changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What I claim is z- 1. A foldable boat comprising an inflatable bag, a flexible outer covering flatly engaging the said bag, rivets arranged in rows and securedthrough the said bag and covering, eyes upon said rivets, an inner covering provided with slots adapted for seatin over the said eyes, ropes threaded through the said eyes, and a foldable gunwale rod secured to the outer adjacent edges of the said outer and inner coverings.

2. A foldable boat comprising an inflatable bag, an outer covering flatly engaging one surface of the bag and having eyelets through the projecting marginal edge thereof, an inner covering flatly engaging the opposite surface ofthe bag and provided with spaced slots therethrough and also having eyelets through its projecting Inarginal edge, rivets secured in spaced relations through the said bag and outer covering and registering with the said slots, eyes upon the said rivets projecting inwardly of the inner covering and through the slots thereof, ropes arranged in substantial parallelism within the boat and threaded through the said eyes, and securing means positioned through the eyelets of both of Said coverings.

3. A foldable boat comprising an inlatable bag, an outer and an inner covering for the said bag having alined eyelets through their projecting marginal edges, a plurality of rivets vulcanized through the said bag and outer covering, eyes upon the inner ends of said rivets positioned inwardly of the said inner covering, strengthening ropes threaded through the said eyes and positioned interiorly ofthe boat, a gunwale rod provided with bow and stern and centrally positioned side hinges, cords connecting the said eyelets with the said gunwale rod, brackets positioned over the said side hinges when the boat is in its operative position, inwardly projecting rods between the said side hinges having threaded inner ends, a turn sleeve having its opposite ends reversely screw threaded and receiving the adjacent threaded ends of the said inwardly projecting rods, transverse cables carried by the gunwale rod, and thwarts suspended from the said cables and gunwale rod.

ln testimony whereof I a my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WOJCltECH CZARNlK.

Witnesses:

doser Winononon, 

